In the YouTube community, there has been discussion about gaming formats, tournament appeal and toxic players. Throughout the discussion, I couldn't help but notice there is a form of elitism going on. I made a ranty vid on it which I'll link below, but seeing the responses, I think it struck a chord. And it made me wonder... How are we accomodating to new players?If you play in a local club, how often do you see new faces in the club and do they stay or do they leave after a short while?If you are a club or community organiser, how do you accomodate to new players and keep them coming back?

If you are not involved in a club or community activity... how would you go about approaching new players, who still need to be introduced in the hobby or who have just been introduced to the hobby by a gamestore?

_________________I love me a bowl of numbers to crunch for breakfast. If you need anything theoryhammered, I gladly take requests.

"I move unseen. I hide in light and shadow. I move faster than a bird. No plate of armour ever stopped me. I strike recruits and veterans with equal ease. And all shiver at my coldest of whispers."- The stiff breeze

I'm not in a club, so the only reply I can provide is about what we do online.

In Druchii.net.Newcomers are first challenged with a question, which used to be related to the late, no longer existing WH8 , and has been changed since to something easier.We used to have an automatic welcome message sent to them, explaining a bit about our website in a fluffy way. Not even sure if it is still sent.Then they find themselves as a Slave on the Altar, with the "Freshly captured" avatar. OK, what to expect when you join a gang of Druchii in their lair? Ususally when they make their first post, someone insert in the reply "welcome to D.net" and only then they get a warm welcome.Also, this website is where they should find lots of experienced players willing to provide rookies some sound advice.

This said, lack of new content here is probably what prevents people to post more content. This is why it is paramount for old timers to post news every now and then.

In The 9th Age.We made a whole section on the website, The Hobby Hub, which deals with all aspects of the Hobby. One sub-forum is specifically dedicated to beginners.Also, to make the game easier for beginners, there will be a quick starter edition of the game, published soon.

_________________Winds never stop blowing, Oceans are borderless. Get a ship and a crew, so the World will be ours! Today the World, tomorrow Nagg!{--|oBrotherhood of the Coast!o|--}

Speaking as a new player, I must say that while I do wish druchii.net was more active, everyone here has been extraordinarily helpful and welcoming. I find myself checking the site several times a day (especially while at work...) and reading all new posts with gusto, though I often feel I have little to contribute to the conversation.To answer Calisson's (unasked) question, I did not receive a welcome message from druchii.net when I registered, just the normal link to verify email address.I am very excited to say that I will soon be able to help an even newer player learn the ropes! My roommates and I recently got a new housemate, and less than a week in residence, after seeing me in the basement painting minis and hearing our chatter about games, starting asking questions about rules, armies etc. That night he told us he'd purchased ~2000 points worth of Ogre minis! I'm looking forward to seeing his models and having another player in the house (plus crushing his hopes and dreams under a hail of reaper bolts and magic).

Ha, this is nice and fluffy! I think it would have been a bit overwhelming for me at first; now that I've had some time to poke around/learn the forum layout I enjoy it. When I first came to the forum I was curios but not too deeply into Warhammer yet--I was just looking for tactical advice more than a community. I've always been one to explore at my own pace though, so that's just my two cents.

Well, I used to be in a gaming community, in which I made some incredible friends, but then I moved countries, picked up a job I love but that eats up tons of my free time, had a daughter, and so haven't subsequently really got involved in a new club. So, I don't play anymore, although maybe that will change again some day. With that experience in mind, a few thoughts on the topic at hand:

New members of a community face several impediments upon trying to integrate into the community, including:- The initial fear of joining a group of people who often know each other well and demonstrate that through playful banter.- The initial challenge of finding a game when games are often prebooked these days using social media. Turning up and having no one to play when you are new makes you feel unwelcome.- A lack of understanding regarding the playing culture of the game (is it a WAAC culture? play to have fun? somewhere in the middle?). If a new player plays at one level and the other members play at another, it can quickly lead to resentment on one or both sides, culminating in a termination of the relationship.- A feeling that no one cares whether you come back. Many a player will come along for a first few weeks, but will notice that no one really seems to care whether or not they come back and no one looks excited or interested when they do. After a while they just drift away.- Cliques. Within many gaming communities, little cliques of players emerge, who play each other predominantly and are not open to outsiders. That can make it hard for newcomers to find a regular group of people to play with and to feel like they are not really wanted.

Now, most of the above can be managed by proactive gaming community leaders. Some suggestions include:- helping new players to feel welcome and missed (a simple "hey, are you coming back again next week? we'd love to have you join our game of XYZ" can be incredibly motivating by making the new player feel valued and wanted to return).- explaining the gaming culture of the community up front, so that the newcomer can work out how to play in order to not be ostracized by the other players for following a different set of gaming norms.- a deliberate opening up of cliques by gaming community leaders to make sure that at least some games every meeting are open to allcomers and not purely reserved to cliques of pre-existing friends within the community.

_________________"While all answers are replies, not all replies are answers. So answer the question."

Rather a passing visit, I'm afraid I don't have a lot of input/comments I can make these days.

I was initially a skeptic about 9th edition, but if the fanbase can keep it going, in some ways its nice to have a ruleset and army lists that are decided by the playerbase rather than a corporation that encourages power creep in the rules and army books in order to sell new minis. I know my old gaming club has embraced Kings of War in a pretty big way - my understanding of it is that it is simpler rules, but higher strategy. I have to confess, it never really caught my imagination in the same way that Warhammer did. Age of Sigmar? I've never played it, but I imagine it's a pretty fun mini-skirmish game for when you're in the mood for beer and pretzels. The key - it would seem - is not to imagine that it is a substitute for 8th edition, but a new game in its own right. 8th edition? I imagine it has nostalgia value, but a non-evolving ruleset does eventually become static and tired, which I suspect is the outcome that 8th edition now faces.

The key with all the above links back into the OP. It's not so much what you play but that everyone has a good time playing it.

_________________"While all answers are replies, not all replies are answers. So answer the question."

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